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The smell of burning rubber mixed with popcorn will become a commonplace this weekend when the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals takes place at Gainesville Raceway.
The four-day event starts Thursday and cranks up the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing season. Gainesville Raceway, at 11211 North County Road 225, will again play host to the 55th edition of the event to continue its placement as one of the four oldest events on the NHRA circuit.
Weekend Preview
The Fan Fest at Burnyzz Speed Shop from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday will start the much anticipated opener. Then, the hum of engines will be heard loudly starting Thursday as the first qualifying events take the starting line. The Sportsman class and Top Alcohol class qualifiers will see the green flag at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. The first day of racing is only the beginning, with much more to come throughout the weekend.
Top driver Tony Schumacher will also be available for fans to meet, as he’ll be in the grandstand all four days catching the action. Schumacher, the winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA Drag Racing history, will watch the weekend’s races before heading off for his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s Class of 2025 on March 11 in Daytona.
Excited to announce that Tony Schumacher will attend the Gator Nationals on his way to being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America! 🏁🏆 #TonySchumacher #GatorNationals
Read more: https://t.co/IK4PJxkN8X #automatetweets #freewithnectar
— Motorsports Bee (@OutdoorsNews0) March 4, 2025
Friday and Saturday will see the continuation of qualifiers across the remaining classes. Eliminations will also start in the Sportsman and Top Alcohol sub-classes over the two days. The middle 48 hours will also include many fan events, such as autograph sessions, Q and A’s and exhibition runs.
The long beloved event will close with the final day of drag racing action. The last day will see the last elimination rounds and finals take place in all classes, capping off the weekend with the Winners’ Circle ceremony.
History of Gatornationals
The event was first held in 1970, making it the fourth oldest race on tour behind Winternationals, U.S. Nationals, and the NHRA Season Finals. The event has also played host to some of the sport’s most historic moments. The Gatornationals saw the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 by Joe Amato and Kenny Bernstein. The track also sported the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes by Don Garlits and Kenny Bernstein in 1986 and 1992, according to Gainesville Raceway.
It’s #GatorNats week!
Defending Gatornationals Pro Stock winner Erica Enders describes why the event has grown to have so much prestige over the years 🐊
▶️ https://t.co/drhNg3aP79#NHRA | @EliteMotorsLLC pic.twitter.com/njb7m8RYZi
— Behind the Catch Fence (@BehindCatch) March 3, 2025
The concrete racing strip is one of the tour’s longest raceways, standing at a length of 675 feet. The race also has opened the season every year since 2021, having never opened the NHRA season in the 50 years prior.
2025 Gatornationals Weekend Information
This year’s Gatornationals will include reigning world champions in each of the classes featured. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) will look to start their title defenses with a win at Gatornationals.
The entire rundown of the four-day schedule can be found here.
Ticketing information is available on the NHRA Website as well.
The first taping of qualifying will air at 8-10:30 p.m. Saturday. The second qualifying show airs 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday and the Finals taping airs from 7-10 p.m. Sunday. All televised events will air on Fox Sports 1.
